WI: Nikolai II (and Family) Rescued

Nicolas wasn't really an absolute monarch, but "constitutional, non-democratic one". Theoretically absolute prior to 1906, he was heavily restrained by court, extended family, and other groups of interest even before the constitution of 1906. "total absolute monarchs" were rare, and relied on personal cunning and charisma, not laws saying they were absolute.

Nicolas had very few, if any real constitutional limitations on his power.

He agreed to even token parliamentary processes with extreme reluctance (wearing 14th century regalia while signing the decree enacting the parliament, the Czarina being accompanied by arch conservative clergy denouncing it, refusing to address the parliament, limiting the parliament's already token powers etc.

While Nicolas did have traditional limitations in that important decisions were made by, as you alluded to, after a conference of traditional VIPS, even this was no longer sufficient by the 1900s. Monarchists basically wanted real parliaments. They could, of course, be heavily weighted towards the ancien regime, but very few were willing to live in a society where the fates of millions rested with one near absolute monarch and a very small junta of advisers.
 
That sounds like an interesting idea. Any reason WHY it didn't happen (besides Nicky being a brainless wimp) OTL? What would be the repercussions of such a rescue?

An internal rescue was probably curtailed by apathy and exhaustion.

Saint Petersburg and area was progressive and that meant a certain level of Bolshevik support. Right wing columns often found themselves hampered by creative railway workers and other left leaning civilians informed on right wing faction troop movements etc.

Even with these annoyances, an internal rescue was very possible. Prior to the Bolshevik hand over, Nicolas and family were guarded by about 200 apathetic para military police with no clear orders. But.... a right wing rescue would need daring, risk taking, and audacity by effective troops under skilled leadership.

In 1918, Russian conservatives did not have any Otto Skorzenys, CSA cavalry raider generals like Forrest, or say a French or British colonial bush war commander leading motivated troops and familiar with negotiating with different factions, fast moving columns and lethal tactics when needed. With high levels of apathy and exhaustion, all it took to keep thousands nominally right wing leaning troops at bay was 200 paramilitary police troops.
 
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But Alexi and his disease would prevent him from taking the throne. Would he have a regent but die before he could be crowned?
 
But Alexi and his disease would prevent him from taking the throne. Would he have a regent but die before he could be crowned?
Alexi was the textbook successor. But my guess is that following a rescue, the textbook would have been tossed right out the window of one of the the Emperor's Hispano Suiza luxury cars. The Russian monarchists would have needed a clearly identifiable monarch. Alexi with a regent would not project strength.

My guess is that they would skip the Romanov line and crown the most effective senior noble as Emperor. The only trouble was finding an effective senior noble in 1918. Not only were the Romanovs at the bottom of the barrel talent wise, but other senior houses like the Yussapovs were in even worse shape in the talent department.
 
Uh huh. So if someone just told you they're gonna murder you and your entire family, you'd just calmly say: "oh I see, no point arguing then, go ahead good chap"?
"pardon, say that again" is about most coherent thing I imagine could muster to say in so horrible situation

I didn't say that I'd react any better. But I don't have a ton of respect for Louis XVI or Charles I, but both at least had some semblance of dignity when going to their executions. Granted, in Charles' case his wife and most of his kids were out of reach of the Parliamentarians, but Louis XVI-Antoinette seem to have realized that their days were numbered, and that every day more they stayed alive was simply a mercy. Up to the moments of their execution they expected the cavalry to show but composed themselves nevertheless. By comparison, Nicky seems to have lived in some sort of fantasy land, instead of thinking "okay, these blighters want me dead. They're gonna kill me one of these days". I mean, the tightening of the restrictions should've been his first clue to make like he was going to Solovetsky
 
Louis XVI and Charles I both had more than ten seconds notice about their execution.
Ad-lib is hard.

Still, I feel Nicky was an idiot for not realizing "hey, there's a gun in that church AIMED AT ME, maybe these guys aren't gonna let me go." Not "gee, they took away our coffee and butter today, I wonder why they built that really high wall, must be to protect ME"
 
No, it doesn't work that way.
They moved them to basement under pretext they'd be moved to safe location due to impending chaos. When Nicolas asked for a chair for Alexei, they actually let him have one.
Only when the armed execution squad (which btw would be indistinguishable from usual guards moving them around until they aimed at them seconds before firing) entered the room, they told them they're gonna be executed.
Nicolas said: "What? What?" and they shot him.

And all prior revolutionary regicides (Charles I and Louis XVI) involved show trial. If Nicolas ever suspected he might eventually be killed, he would think it'd be after they give him a show trial. And he was never brought before one.

Up until last few seconds there was no indication whatsoever they are gonna kill him. Until execution squad lowered their guns to fire at him, being surrounded by armed men was completely normal when you're an arrestee being moved to another location.
 
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No, it doesn't work that way.
They moved them to basement under pretext they'd be moved to safe location due to impending chaos. When Nicolas asked for a chair for Alexei, they actually let him have one.
Only when the armed execution squad (which btw would be indistinguishable from usual guards moving them around until they aimed at them seconds before firing) entered the room, they told them they're gonna be executed.
Nicolas said: "What? What?" and they shot him.

And all prior revolutionary regicides (Charles I and Louis XVI) involved show trial. If Nicolas ever suspected he might eventually be killed, he would think it'd be after they give him a show trial. And he was never bright before one.

Up until last few seconds there was no indication whatsoever they are gonna kill him. Until execution squad lowered their guns to fire at him, being surrounded by armed men was completely normal when you're an arrestee being moved to another location.
Right, they were told they would have their mugshots taken, then evacuated away from the front lines. It's only after they were "posed for a group shot" that they were told, "nah, we're actually going to execute you right now, see this warrant here, ready, aim, fire."
 
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